you to know that I wouldn’t have touched the Sea Star if I’d known how strongly you feel about it. But the deed is done, isn’t it? We might as well accept the situation. After all,” he added reasonably, “aren’t we working toward the same end? Don’t we both want what’s best for the hotel?”
“No,” she said, “I think you want only what’s best for you.”
He sighed again, impatiently. “Miss Sterling, let’s not split hairs. What’s best for the Sea Star is best for me and you. Come now,” he appealed to her, “meet me halfway. Let me work with you, let me help you. You won’t regret it, I promise you.”
She was about to answer, sharply and in the negative, when she suddenly noticed the black band around his coat sleeve. “Are you in mourning?” she asked before she could stop herself.
“Yes,” he said. “My father died last month.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, and meant it. She had never thought of him in connection with a family. He had seemed unique, alone, impervious to human suffering. But he had suffered, he had lost a father, as she had. She imagined his grief, felt it touch and meld with hers. The rancor he had earlier aroused in her slowly faded, and in its place grew a fledgling feeling of kinship.
“Had he been ill?” she asked softly, remembering her impotent anguish as her father lay dying.
“Yes,” Jay said. “For a long time. When death finally came, it was a blessing.”
His eyes, dark with memories, caused Susanna to lower hers. “I shouldn’t have been so rude to you,” she said. “If I had known about your loss...”
“Miss Sterling, look at me.” And when she did, he said, “I appreciate your sympathies, but I don’t want to take advantage of the situation. Before you noticed I was in mourning, I believe you were about to tell me to go to the devil. By all means do so if you wish to.”
She colored in embarrassment. That was exactly what she had been about to say, but in light of his bereavement, such a discourtesy would be barbaric.
“I wasn’t thinking that at all.” The lie deepened her blush and enhanced the beauty of her splendid green eyes.
A smile curved Jay’s lips. “You are a Siren,” he said. “I know you’re not telling the truth but, by heaven, I believe you. What were you really thinking?” he teased her. “That you’re delighted to have me for a partner?”
She couldn’t help it. She smiled, too. “No,” she admitted. “Not exactly.”
“‘Sunny’,” he said pensively, watching the dance of dappled sunlight on her rose-colored cheeks. “The name does suit you. But I’d rather call you Susanna. Would you mind if I did?”
A fleeting emotion, too ephemeral to grasp, stirred faintly within her and was gone before she was even aware of it. “No, I don’t mind.”
“And you must call me Jay.”
“Yes, all right.”
The words seem to come from a part of her psyche that only he, as if by sorcery, controlled. He continued to watch her with that lazy admiring smile. Susanna felt dizzy, lightheaded. She must have been working too hard today. She closed her eyes for a moment, but she still saw his face. He sat there in silence, but she still heard the low tone of his mesmerizing voice.
Jay drew out his watch and snapped open the cover. “It’s past three, but something tells me you haven’t had lunch yet. Am I right?”
Susanna opened her eyes as if rousing from a dream. The room seemed bathed in a radiant glow, and Jay at its center seemed the source of warmth and light. “No, I haven’t,” she said slowly. “But how did you know?”
“You look hungry,” he said, and his smile became playful.
She felt hungry the moment he said it, and that was odd because her
“No,” she said, “I think you want only what’s best for you.”
He sighed again, impatiently. “Miss Sterling, let’s not split hairs. What’s best for the Sea Star is best for me and you. Come now,” he appealed to her, “meet me halfway. Let me work with you, let me help you. You won’t regret it, I promise you.”
She was about to answer, sharply and in the negative, when she suddenly noticed the black band around his coat sleeve. “Are you in mourning?” she asked before she could stop herself.
“Yes,” he said. “My father died last month.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, and meant it. She had never thought of him in connection with a family. He had seemed unique, alone, impervious to human suffering. But he had suffered, he had lost a father, as she had. She imagined his grief, felt it touch and meld with hers. The rancor he had earlier aroused in her slowly faded, and in its place grew a fledgling feeling of kinship.
“Had he been ill?” she asked softly, remembering her impotent anguish as her father lay dying.
“Yes,” Jay said. “For a long time. When death finally came, it was a blessing.”
His eyes, dark with memories, caused Susanna to lower hers. “I shouldn’t have been so rude to you,” she said. “If I had known about your loss...”
“Miss Sterling, look at me.” And when she did, he said, “I appreciate your sympathies, but I don’t want to take advantage of the situation. Before you noticed I was in mourning, I believe you were about to tell me to go to the devil. By all means do so if you wish to.”
She colored in embarrassment. That was exactly what she had been about to say, but in light of his bereavement, such a discourtesy would be barbaric.
“I wasn’t thinking that at all.” The lie deepened her blush and enhanced the beauty of her splendid green eyes.
A smile curved Jay’s lips. “You are a Siren,” he said. “I know you’re not telling the truth but, by heaven, I believe you. What were you really thinking?” he teased her. “That you’re delighted to have me for a partner?”
She couldn’t help it. She smiled, too. “No,” she admitted. “Not exactly.”
“‘Sunny’,” he said pensively, watching the dance of dappled sunlight on her rose-colored cheeks. “The name does suit you. But I’d rather call you Susanna. Would you mind if I did?”
A fleeting emotion, too ephemeral to grasp, stirred faintly within her and was gone before she was even aware of it. “No, I don’t mind.”
“And you must call me Jay.”
“Yes, all right.”
The words seem to come from a part of her psyche that only he, as if by sorcery, controlled. He continued to watch her with that lazy admiring smile. Susanna felt dizzy, lightheaded. She must have been working too hard today. She closed her eyes for a moment, but she still saw his face. He sat there in silence, but she still heard the low tone of his mesmerizing voice.
Jay drew out his watch and snapped open the cover. “It’s past three, but something tells me you haven’t had lunch yet. Am I right?”
Susanna opened her eyes as if rousing from a dream. The room seemed bathed in a radiant glow, and Jay at its center seemed the source of warmth and light. “No, I haven’t,” she said slowly. “But how did you know?”
“You look hungry,” he said, and his smile became playful.
She felt hungry the moment he said it, and that was odd because her
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